Maison Rare, jewel-like champagnes

Rare Champagne in figures

Rare Champagne cuvées are always made from 70% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims, which brings an incredible, precise minerality, and 30% Pinot Noir from the heart of the Montagne de Reims, (Verzy or Aÿ in particular), with its pure, silky texture.

Vinified only in exceptional years, each Rare Champagne vintage combines 3 essential parameters:the expertise of Régis Camus, the House's prestigious Chef de Caves, maturation time in optimal conditions, and a truly atypical year.These are the years when, despite weather that seems to have lost its mind, the grapes can express the quintessence of their aromas and develop unexpected, singular notes. Thus, for example, Rare Millésime 1976 was born of an unprecedented drought, 1979 of a cold, rainy spring resulting in late flowering and harvesting, and Rare Millésime 1985 of a terrible black frost.

Only 12 cuvées have been made in 45 years: 1976, 1979, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2006, 2008 and Rare Rosé Millésime 2007 and Rare Rosé Millésime 2008.

The wines are aged on lees for a minimum of 8 years.There are a few exceptions, with the 2008 Rare Rosé Millésimée aged for 10 years, 2006 Rare Millésimé which spent 12 years in the House cellars, and 1998 Rare Millésimé which took the time to assert itself over 20 years.

The Rare Champagne style

At once oriental and fresh, mature and warm, Rare Champagne is pampered by the magical hands of Régis Camus, named Sparkling Wine Cellar Master of the Year by theInternational Wine Challenge eight times between 2004 and 2013. Rare Champagne reveals notes of sweet spices and fresh tropical fruit, sometimes candied.

Rare vintage 2008

"If there's one word to explain 2008, it's infinite," says Régis Camus.

While most Champagne houses have released their 2008s in 2018, the Chef de Caves waits, tasting his wine until his " labor of passion and love " is ready to be revealed to the public in early June.

2008 is an exceptional year in Champagne, with an unpredictable climate. A mild winter, a cold spring and a rainy growing season. The resulting wine is " a fresh, structured, harmonious composition ".

On tasting, the scents are floral, moving towards orange blossom and hyacinth. Then there's another flower, vanilla, combined with fresh coconut and pear. It's springtime, and a constant cycle of aromas on the palate. It's young, fresh and crisp, with fresh pineapple, passion fruit, kiwi, coconut and tart citrus. The finish is punctuated by salinity, remarkable and iodized.

A graceful champagne for hedonists only, to pair with oysters, grilled sole, langoustines, candied peppers, or for dessert with milk chocolate, mango and passion fruit or caramelized pineapple.

The bottle

In the 18th century, Florens-Louis Heidsieck presented his first prestige cuvée to Marie-Antoinette, Queen of France, in a so-called aristocratic bottle: Pinte Majeure. Rare is a tribute to this gesture. The design of the bottle has remained the same ever since, created by Pierre-Karl Fabergé, jeweller to the Russian Tsar Alexander III.

Now the emblem of the House, it proudly asserts the charisma of its wine.A bottle/jewel with asymmetrical shoulders inherited from a long tradition of mouth-blown glass by master glassmakers.
Enhanced with black and gold lace, in the shape of a crown "like an allegory of the triumphant vine", designed by the goldsmith-jeweler Arthus-Bertrand, the tiara affirms the personality of the wine." While black naturally evokes Pinot Noir, gold metaphorically translates the reflections of Chardonnay in the light."explains the brand.

The ultimate luxury, the tiara is removable, laced to the back of the bottle so that it can be worn as a bracelet!

The bottle reinvented by artists

In 1985, Van Cleef & Arpels created a unique high-jewelry bottle in gold, diamonds and lapis lazuli, to celebrate the 1st vintage of the 20th century, Rare Millésime 1976. This bottle/jewel illustrates both Rare Champagne's unique expertise and the exceptional nature of the vintage.

In 1997, Rare Champagne didn't declare the vintage, due to overly trying weather conditions. However, Régis Camus thought it had potential, and secretly made a blend that he kept in his personal cellar, exclusively in magnums.20 years of ageing later, "Rare Le Secret" was born.Unlike other vintages, its lack of dosage gives it an incomparable personality.
For this truly unique cuvée, the Descours family, owners of the brand, asked the world's oldest jewellery dynastyMellerioto design a set inspired by the muse shared by the two houses:Marie-Antoinette.In 1780, the French queen is said to have bought a bracelet from Mellerio, adorned with seven cameos and rubies.

Several exceptional bottles were created:

• one evoking haute joaillerie, "Rare Le Secret Édition Haute Joaillerie" available in only 4 copies, inspired by the ribbons that adorned Marie-Antoinette's toilette,
• the second, engraved, "Rare Each magnum", adorned with a diamond, ruby, sapphire or emerald of at least one carat, is entwined with ribbons paved with 510 diamonds.
• the last"The Goldsmith Edition Magnum" with an embossed, gold-plated plate.